Wednesday, Day 3

THE PIONEER
OF FAITH
Ur was already an ancient city in the early days of Abrahams
life. A fine place to call home, it possessed a towering temple, a
thriving marketplace, prosperous artisans and merchants, and all
the surrounding pastureland that an established tribal chief like
Abraham could want.
But God spoke to him, somehow, back when his name was
Abram, before it was changed to Abraham. Maybe he heard a
voice in the night. Maybe God appeared to him in a dream.
Maybe it was an inner conviction that grew, little by little, until
Abraham could no longer ignore it. We dont know. The Bible
doesnt say. It simply tells us:

The LORD said to Abram, Go from your country, your peo-

ple and your fathers household to the land I will show you. I will
make you into a great nation, and I will bless you (Genesis
12:1-2).

And Abraham went. Perhaps he balked at first. He may have

argued with God. He might have asked for more details - may-
be even some concessions (Can you send me a nice offer on my
house? or Can it wait until after the playoffs?). But whatever

24 THE BIBLE 30-DAY EXPERIENCE GUIDEBOOK

his initial reaction was however long it took him to make the
final decision he did it. He left his home, his neighbors and
friends, everything he had ever known, and set out for the land
of Canaan, a journey of roughly eight hundred miles from Ur.
The safe: surrendered.
The familiar: gone.
The comfortable: left behind.
But with the call came a promise, or rather a series of promis-
es: God would make him the father of many nations (Genesis
17:4). His descendants would be kings (Genesis 17:6). His name
would be great (Genesis 12:2). Those were all extremely im-
portant things in those days. Having many descendants was a
form of security, a safety net for ones old age. A king or two in
the family certainly wouldnt hurt, either especially when tribal
warfare and blood feuds could wipe out entire clans. And a
great name was more highly valued by the wise than flocks
and lands and gold or silver; those things could all be stolen or
destroyed, but a great name was a lasting inheritance.
So Abraham obeyed. He believed God. He left home and set
off on a long and demanding journey. And God fulfilled his
promises to Abraham every last one.
Many years later, there was Another who left his home for a
far-off land. There was Another who left behind the safe, the
familiar, the comfortable, for a journey of unfathomable dis-
tance.
Like Abraham, when the Father called, Jesus said, Here I am,
I have come to do your will (Hebrews 10:9).
Like Abraham, he left his Fathers household and journeyed a
long way from the very throne of heaven to a virgins womb,
being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:7b) and thus
becoming the pioneer of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Like Abraham, he obeyed. He humbled himself, by becoming
obedient to death even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8) to
open the way to eternal life for all who would trust in him and
follow him.
Abraham was the type. Jesus is the fulfillment. And, as he did
for Abraham, the Father kept his promise to Jesus in raising him
from the dead, exalting him to the place of highest honor (Phi-
lippians 2:9) and making him the father of a holy nation, a
nation of kings (1 Peter 2:9), at whose great name every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and

FROM DEATH TO LIFE 25

 every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father (Philippians 2:10b-11).

FROM THE BIBLE

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did
not know where he was going.
Hebrews 11:8

What does Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was

credited to him as righteousness.
Romans 4:3

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of

Abraham.
Galatians 3:7

In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as

Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with
God something to be used to his own advantage;
Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

FROM THE HEART

Lord Jesus, thank you for your glorious condescension in leaving
your glory in heaven and journeying to earth, to a virgins
womb, to a Bethlehem stable, for me. Thank you that such infi-
nite distance was not too far for you, and that the crudeness of
human birth and life, suffering and death were not too much for

26 THE BIBLE 30-DAY EXPERIENCE GUIDEBOOK

You to give because of Your great love for me. Thank you for
Your remarkable sacrifice for me. Amen.

DID YOU KNOW?

Two titles repeatedly given to Abraham in Scripture are Father
of many nations (Genesis 17:5, Romans 4:17) and the friend
of God (2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23).

EXPERIENCE THE STORY: DOORS

Each time you step through a door today to a room, an office,
a car, etc. give thanks for the journey Jesus took and the dis-
tance Jesus traveled for your salvation.

GO DEEPER
For further study, you will find the story of Abrahams call in
Genesis 12 and Gods covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15.

REFLECTION TIME
Take a few moments to reflect on the following and write your
thoughts in the space below:

What does home mean to me and why?

What would it take for me to leave home for an unknown
destination?
How do the answers to the above affect my feelings about
Jesus leaving heaven for me?

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FROM DEATH TO LIFE 27